Eastern, western Libyan military leaders meet to discuss army’s unification

Muetaz Wannes and Tarek Chouiref

Senior military leaders from eastern and western Libya met Sunday in the central city of Sirte to discuss unifying the country’s divided armed forces, according to a statement by eastern forces Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar.

The meeting brought together eastern forces Chief of Staff Khaled Haftar and western forces Chief of Staff Salah al-Din al-Namroush along with members of the Joint Military Commission (5+5), the Joint Security and Military Committee (3+3) and representatives of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

According to the statement, the talks are part of ongoing efforts to reunify Libya’s military establishment and end years of institutional division.

The statement described the discussions as constructive but gave no details on any agreements or concrete outcomes.

Libya’s armed forces remain divided between eastern forces led by Khalifa Haftar and forces aligned with the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity.

Military reunification efforts have been underway under the UN-backed Joint Military Commission (5+5) established under the October 2020 ceasefire agreement signed in Geneva. The Joint Security and Military Committee (3+3) was later formed to coordinate border security, counterterrorism and efforts to combat organized crime.

Libya has remained politically divided for years between rival administrations in the east and west, while repeated efforts to organize nationwide elections have stalled amid disputes over the constitutional basis and candidate eligibility criteria.